As we get close to finishing principal photography on our feature, “Celluloid Soul,” we have uncovered a great discovery: a filming stage in Burbank that has numerous sets, and has a rate that is well within the range of the ultra low budget filmmaker. We needed a hospital set for one of the pivotal scenes in the film, which posed a bit of a challenge. A real hospital was out of the question and any studio hospital sets were simply priced too high: $1000-$4000, plus there were other expenses: stage manager, electricity, insurance, etc. However, all that came to a glorious conclusion when we discovered this very inexpensive, very filmmaker friendly stage.

Actresses Lauren Baldwin and Barb Nance on the set of “Celluloid Soul.”

The studio is called Nvisionate and they have several standing sets all ready to go: there’s a hospital room, a couple of jail cells, an interrogation room complete with one way mirror, a bar, restaurant, living room, bedroom, exterior of the front of a house, conference room, office cubicles, and more.

We shot on our film there and things could not have gone smoother. The owner of the stage, Nick Somers, is about as friendly as they come. He went out of his way to make sure our filming experience was as easy as possible. He even supplied us with medical wardrobe and props.

I can not praise this stage enough. They even have a green screen area you can film in. I mean, if you’re a small filmmaker and need a stage with rates that can go as low as $75 an hour…THIS IS THE PLACE. You can check them out at here.